First Minister John Swinney has stated that the public will welcome his transparency in refusing to work with Reform UK at Holyrood. Speaking during a visit to the Western General Infirmary in Edinburgh, Swinney confirmed he had written to all party leaders except Lord Malcolm Offord's party, inviting them to talks aimed at fostering better relations.
Swinney's Stance on Reform UK
Swinney emphasised that his position was consistent with his pre-election pledge not to co-operate or collaborate with Reform. He said: "I think the public will welcome transparency and openness from the First Minister, making it clear that what I said during the election – that I wouldn’t co-operate or collaborate with Reform – is what I’m going to do after the election." The First Minister's team distributed a press release reiterating his opposition to working with Reform.
When asked whether he would support a member's Bill from Reform regardless of its aims, Swinney replied: "Parliamentary procedures are of their own identity; I, of course, will answer parliamentary questions from Reform members. I will, of course, respond to members’ debates that come forward. But what I won’t do is engage in political co-operation and collaboration with Reform – I won’t have anything to do with it."
Visit to Western General Infirmary
Swinney's visit to the Edinburgh hospital was aimed at highlighting strengths in the National Health Service. He stated: "It also illustrates my determination to make sure that, in every respect, we’re doing all that we can to improve the performance and the effectiveness of the National Health Service."
Re-election Vote and Reaction
Swinney remains First Minister and faces a vote in Holyrood next week to officially re-elect him to the post. He is not expected to face significant difficulty in securing the required votes. Meanwhile, Reform UK Scotland's deputy leader Thomas Kerr accused Swinney of "political posturing," saying: "We’ve not even stepped foot in the chamber yet. These are politicians who are doing political posturing before we’ve even stepped foot in the chambers of the Holyrood Parliament. So, I think it’s ridiculous for them, it’s anti-democratic, we’ve seen this last year when John Swinney held his anti-democratic summit, it backfired on him then … this will backfire on him."
The invitation to other party leaders follows Swinney's arrival at St Andrew's House, where he was greeted by Permanent Secretary Joe Griffin and more than 100 civil servants who applauded in the lobby.
